the_jh_movie_collection_officialfandomcom-20200215-history
The Crown (season 2)
| country = * United States }} | num_episodes = 10 | network = Netflix | released = | episode_list = }} The second season of the British-American web television series The Crown, which follows the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II, consists of 10 episodes and was released on Netflix on December 8, 2017. Claire Foy stars as Elizabeth, along with main cast members Matt Smith, Vanessa Kirby, Jeremy Northam, Anton Lesser, Greg Wise, Victoria Hamilton, Matthew Goode, Alex Jennings, and Lia Williams. Original main cast members Jared Harris, John Lithgow, and Ben Miles also return as featured players. Premise The Crown traces the life of Queen Elizabeth II from her wedding in 1947 through to the present day. The second season, in which Claire Foy continues to portray the Queen in the earlier part of her reign, covers the Suez Crisis in 1956, the retirement of the Queen's third Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, in 1963 following the Profumo affair political scandal, and the birth of Prince Edward in 1964. Cast Main * Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II * Matt Smith as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Elizabeth's husband * Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret, Elizabeth's younger sister * Jeremy Northam as Anthony Eden, Churchill's successor as Prime Minister * Anton Lesser as Harold Macmillan, who follows Anthony Eden as Prime Minister * Greg Wise as Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Philip's ambitious uncle and great-grandson of Queen Victoria * Victoria Hamilton as Queen Elizabeth, George VI's wife and Elizabeth's mother, known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother during her daughter's reign * Matthew Goode as Antony Armstrong-Jones, known as Tony, a society photographer who marries Princess Margaret * Alex Jennings as the Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII, who abdicated in favour of his younger brother Bertie to marry Wallis Simpson; known to his family as David * Lia Williams as Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor, Edward's American wife Featured The below actors are credited in the opening titles of single episodes in which they play a significant role. * Gemma Whelan as Patricia Campbell, a secretary who works with Altrincham and types up his editorial * John Heffernan as Lord Altrincham, a writer who pens a scathing criticism of the Queen * Paul Sparks as Billy Graham, a prominent American preacher with whom Elizabeth consults * Jared Harris as King George VI, Elizabeth's father, known to his family as Bertie * John Lithgow as Winston Churchill, the Queen's first Prime Minister * Ben Miles as Group Captain Peter Townsend, George VI's former equerry and Princess Margaret's ex-fiancé * Michael C. Hall as John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States who visits the Queen * Jodi Balfour as Jacqueline Kennedy, the First Lady of the United States * Danny Sapani as Kwame Nkrumah, the President of Ghana * Burghart Klaußner as Dr. Kurt Hahn, the founder of Gordonstoun * Finn Elliot as school-aged Prince Philip * Julian Baring as school-aged Prince Charles Recurring * Billy Jenkins as young Prince Charles * Grace and Amelia Gilmour as young Princess AnneLacey, Robert. The Crown: The Inside History. London: Blink Publishing, 2017. 354. (uncredited) * Clive Francis as Lord Salisbury * Pip Torrens as Tommy Lascelles * Harry Hadden-Paton as Martin Charteris * Daniel Ings as Mike Parker * Lizzy McInnerny as Margaret "Bobo" MacDonald * Michael Bertenshaw as Piers Legh, Master of the Household * Will Keen as Michael Adeane * Chloe Pirrie as Eileen Parker * Nicholas Burns as Anthony Nutting * Lucy Russell as Lady Mountbatten * Richard Elfyn as Selwyn Lloyd * Adrian Lukis as Vice-Admiral Sir Conolly Abel Smith * Sophie Leigh Stone as Princess Alice, Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark * Guy Williams as Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark * Leonie Benesch as Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark * Simon Paisley Day as Meryn Lewis * James Laurenson as Doctor Weir * Mark Tandy as Cecil Beaton * Michael Culkin as Rab Butler * George Asprey as Walter Monckton * James Hillier as Equerry * Joseph Kloska as Porchey * Sylvestra Le Touzel as Dorothy Macmillan * Catherine Bailey as Elizabeth Cavendish * Paul Clayton as Bob Boothby * Yolanda Kettle as Camilla Fry * Ed Cooper Clarke as Jeremy Fry * Ryan Sampson as Dudley Moore * Tim Steed as John Profumo * Lyla Barrett-Rye as school-aged Princess Anne * Robert Irons as Freddie Bishop * Patrick Warner as Peter Cook * Oliver Maltman as Jim Orr * David Annen as Alec Douglas-Home * Richard Lintern as Stephen Ward Guest * Amir Boutrous as Gamal Abdel Nasser * Julius D'Silva as Baron Nahum * Patrick Ryecart as the Duke of Norfolk * Anna Madeley as Clarissa Eden * Tom Durant-Pritchard as Billy Wallace * Josh Taylor as Johnny Dalkeith * Pip Carter as Colin Tennant * Abigail Parmenter as Judy Montagu * Jo Herbert as Mary Charteris * Richard Clifford as Norman Hartnell * Sam Crane as Patrick Plunket Episodes | ShortSummary = In February 1957, Elizabeth and Philip discuss the state of their marriage while onboard the HMY Britannia in Lisbon, Portugal, with both acknowledging that divorce is not an option. Five months earlier, as Philip prepares to embark on his royal tour, Elizabeth becomes convinced he is having an affair after finding a photograph of eminent Russian ballerina Galina Ulanova in his briefcase. At 10 Downing Street, Chancellor of the Exchequer Harold Macmillan challenges Eden's solution to Egypt's takeover of the Suez Canal but ultimately agrees to military intervention. Philip's uncle, Earl Mountbatten, warns Elizabeth about the plan, which she confronts Eden about after learning that Israel has invaded the Sinai Peninsula. Eden reveals the planned invasion is part of a secret agreement between the Israeli, French and British governments to reclaim the canal without approval from Parliament or the United Nations. Elizabeth gives her support and goes to see Ulanova perform as British forces begin moving into Egypt. | LineColor = 2F4F4F }} | ShortSummary = After international political pressure forces him to withdraw all British forces from Egypt and damages his reputation, Eden travels to Jamaica with his wife. Philip continues his tour, punctuated by an interview which he abandons when the reporter asks about his family history. At Christmas, Philip delivers a heartfelt radio address, prompting Elizabeth to let him know his family is waiting for him as part of her own Christmas address. Meanwhile, Eileen Parker, the wife of Philip's private secretary Michael, initiates divorce proceedings on infidelity grounds. Charteris warns Adeane that the possible fallout could cause the press to start asking questions about Elizabeth and Philip's own marriage. | LineColor = 2F4F4F }} | ShortSummary = Eden returns from Jamaica only to realize that the Cabinet and the Conservative Party, who blame him for the Suez Crisis fallout, have turned against him. As he resigns and Macmillan becomes Prime Minister, Adeane works with Lascelles to change Eileen's mind about her divorce. They fail, however, and Elizabeth, Philip, and Michael learn about the proceedings. Elizabeth's attempt to speak to Eileen also fails and Philip forces Michael to resign when the story about the divorce becomes public knowledge. Elizabeth brings the royal tour to an end before meeting the Britannia in Lisbon, Portugal and privately talking with Philip about their marriage. Philip makes it clear he resents Charles outranking him and wants more respect from both the courtiers and the palace staff. On February 22, 1957, Philip is crowned Prince and dubbed "His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh". | LineColor = 2F4F4F }} | ShortSummary = Still recovering from her decision not to marry Townsend, Margaret accepts a proposal from close friend Billy Wallace and, after gaining Elizabeth's blessing, plans to announce the union during a gala celebrating Elizabeth and Philip's tenth wedding anniversary. On the night of the announcement, however, Margaret breaks off the engagement after finding a drunk Wallace recovering from wounds he received during a duel. The following evening, after a discussion with the Queen Mother about her birthday portrait, Margaret meets photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones at a party and agrees to let him take her picture. Sometime later, she sneaks out to Tony's studio for a sitting. He takes several photographs, after which Margaret asks him to send one to the newspapers. The next day, the picture, in which Margaret appears to be nude, is published to great shock. Meanwhile, Macmillan presses his wife into ending her affair but later realizes she is still seeing her lover after overhearing them on the telephone. | LineColor = 2F4F4F }} | ShortSummary = In response to a speech given by Elizabeth at a car factory, Lord Altrincham pens a scathing article that criticizes her style of public speaking and her court's upper-class attitude. Both the general public and the press are initially against Altrincham but start supporting him after he argues that the monarchy must adapt to the post-war society during a television appearance. After Macmillan reminds her of the trend of nations to abolish their monarchies, Elizabeth arranges a meeting with Altrincham, during which she agrees to televise the upcoming Royal Christmas Message and open the Debutante Ball to her subjects. Six months later, the Queen Mother expresses embarrassment over the monarchy's loss of authority while hosting a garden party. | LineColor = 2F4F4F }} | ShortSummary = In 1945 Thuringia, Germany, a German officer leads American soldiers through the Thuringian Forest to a box containing top-secret documents that previously belonged to Adolf Hitler's personal translator. After British translators discover the documents contain damning information, Winston Churchill informs King George, who tasks him with keeping the documents unpublished. In 1958, while preparing to meet American evangelist Billy Graham, Elizabeth receives a letter from the Duke of Windsor asking permission to re-enter the country so he can find employment. She agrees and allows the Duke back into England, where he starts convincing former sycophants to support his return. When historians unearth the documents, which have been reorganized and titled The Marburg Files, Macmillan brings the matter before Elizabeth. Adeane and the Queen Mother reveal that one volume, which the American government wants to be published, concerns the Duke's relationship with Nazi High Command. When an attempt to elicit the truth from the Duke doesn't go as planned, Elizabeth asks Lascelles for advice and learns the full truth about the relationship. She then exiles the Duke for betraying his country and allows the volume to be published before seeking spiritual counsel from Reverend Graham. | LineColor = 2F4F4F }} | ShortSummary = After learning that Townsend is engaged to a woman who is much younger than him, Margaret presses Tony into proposing marriage. Because Elizabeth is pregnant with her third child, however, protocol prevents her from announcing the engagement. Adeane and Lascelles learn Tony has been engaged in a series of sexual relationships, one with a woman presumably pregnant with his child. On February 9, 1960, after giving birth to son Andrew, Elizabeth decides against telling Margaret. Eight months later, Margaret and Tony get married at Westminster Abbey. | LineColor = 2F4F4F }} | ShortSummary = Elizabeth invites visiting John F. and Jackie Kennedy to Buckingham Palace for dinner, during which she finds common ground with the First Lady. The next day, she discovers Jackie insulted her and the Palace at a party. Feeling challenged, Elizabeth travels to Ghana and meets with President Kwame Nkrumah, whose ties with the Soviet Union has caused concern throughout the British government. She convinces him to cut all ties with the Soviet Union and realign Ghana with the United Kingdom after dancing the foxtrot. Sometime later, a visiting Jackie sits down with Elizabeth at Windsor Castle and apologizes for her previous behavior, explaining she was under the influence of "substances" at the time. Elizabeth confides in Philip, asking if she should have responded in a personal way. On November 22, 1963, after watching coverage of John F. Kennedy's assassination, Elizabeth arranges for a week of mourning to be observed within the household and for the bells at Westminster Abbey to be rung before writing Jackie a letter of sympathy. | LineColor = 2F4F4F }} | ShortSummary = Philip arranges for Charles to attend Gordonstoun in Moray, Scotland despite protests from Elizabeth and Louis, both of whom recommend Eton College. Philip, however, gets his way after using his deal with Elizabeth to compel her to back him. While taking Charles to the school, Philip recalls his time at Gordonstoun as well as the death of his older sister Cecile and her family, for which his father Prince Andrew blamed him. Charles struggles with Gordonstoun's rigorous curriculum and, on the day of a school event, disappears only for his security detail to find him crying. Philip takes Charles home soon after, admonishing him for being "bloody weak" after an attempt to give him a pep talk fails. | LineColor = 2F4F4F }} | ShortSummary = In March 1963, a sexual relationship between Secretary of State for War John Profumo and model Christine Keeler becomes public knowledge, throwing the government into chaos. As the press speculates about a "mystery man" in a photograph taken at a party hosted by London osteopath Stephen Ward, who is charged with immorality offences, Margaret and Tony notice similarities he and Philip share. Ward later commits suicide by overdose, after which the police search through his belongings and find a hand-drawn portrait of Philip. Macmillan resigns on health grounds and is succeeded by Alec Douglas-Home, whose close relationship with the Royal Family makes the appointment controversial. Elizabeth asks Philip if he is the mystery man and confronts him with Ulanova's photograph. Philip admits to knowing Ward in a minor capacity, having visited his clinic the previous year after injuring his neck, but denies attending his parties before reaffirming his love and support for Elizabeth. The following year, Elizabeth gives birth to her fourth child. | LineColor = 2F4F4F }} }} Release The second season was released on Netflix worldwide in its entirety on December 8, 2017. Season 2 was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the United Kingdom on October 22, 2018 and worldwide on November 13, 2018. Reception Rotten Tomatoes reported a 91% approval rating for the second season based on 70 reviews, with an average rating of 8.45/10. The website's critical consensus read "The Crown continues its reign with a self-assured sophomore season that indulges in high drama and sumptuous costumes." On Metacritic, the second season holds a score of 87 out of 100, based on 27 critics, retaining the first season's indication of "universal acclaim". Foy and Smith both earned significant praise from critics. Chancellor Agard of Entertainment Weekly wrote "As always, Claire Foy turns in an amazingly restrained performance." Reviewing the first episode, Gabriel Tate of The Daily Telegraph wrote that Foy and Smith have "seldom been better". Hugo Rifkind of The Times said "While ardent monarchists might bristle at the way this is going, for the rest of us it's getting better and better." Alison Keene of Collider said "each new episode makes its mark and tells its own complete story... It's another exceptionally strong season of television, full of compelling drama and sweeping grandeur." Krutika Malikarjuna of TV Guide argued that the public is attracted to the royals' celebrity and star power, and said: "The brilliance of this framing becomes clear as the show evolves into The Real Housewives of Buckingham." Sophie Gilbert wrote for The Atlantic that the portrayal of a monarch who "would rather be living any other life" is "riveting", and that it is "gorgeously shot, with flawless re-creations of everything from the Throne Room in Buckingham Palace to a 1950s hospital ward. And it's surprisingly funny." The Wall Street Journal critic John Anderson said "The Crown attains genuine sexiness without sex. Margaret, à la Ms. Kirby's interpretation, smolders, as does Elizabeth, at least on occasion." Meghan O'Keefe of Decider wrote that the season "continues to romanticize the British royal family, but the romance comes from how they're normal, not divine". Less complimentary reviews saw the season criticised for what some regarded as failing to meet the emotional intensity of the first. John Doyle wrote for Globe and Mail that despite being "lavishly made" and "breathtaking", it "now leans toward a three-hanky weeper about marriage. It is less than it was, like the monarchy itself, and of interest to monarchy fans only." Alan Sepinwall of Uproxx added "Many of the season's wounds are self-inflicted" and that Prince Philip "still comes across as a whiny man-child". Phil Owen of The Wrap described the season as "trashy" and saw dry comedy in Northam's portrayal of Prime Minister Anthony Eden: "I'm assuming that creator Peter Morgan meant for it to be comedy. There's really no other explanation for why Jeremy Northam played Prime Minister Anthony Eden like he's having a nervous breakdown in every scene." References Category:Cultural depictions of Elizabeth II Category:Cultural depictions of Winston Churchill Category:Cultural depictions of John F. Kennedy Category:Cultural depictions of Charles, Prince of Wales Category:Cultural depictions of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Category:Cultural depictions of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma Category:English-language television programs Category:Screenplays by Peter Morgan